A Wareham Department of Natural Resources officer searching for a loose seal Wednesday night on Onset Avenue was uninjured after his truck was hit by a passing motorist.

According to officials, the officer was searching for a seal spotted on a sidewalk. Wareham Police confirmed the animal was in the area, but it slipped into a nearby swamp before the Department of Natural Resources officer arrived.

The officer was seated inside the parked truck with warning lights flashing when the crash occurred, according to officials. The driver, who was not identified, was taken to Tobey Hospital with unspecified injuries and also charged with operating to endanger and operating under the influence. The incident is under investigation by the Wareham Police Department.

As for the seal, it was last seen near the entrance of the Dudley L. Brown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Onset. Wareham authorities have notified the International Fund for Animal Welfare and will continue to search for the seal.